A Bill to protect private gardens from development which is out of character with the surrounding area; to make provision about the circumstances in which a planning application may be rejected by a local authority and about rights of appeal in such circumstances; to prohibit repeated planning applications in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes
This Bill would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance to local authorities so that gardens of residential houses would be regarded as greenfield sites for development purposes; planning applications for significant developments would be refused if they were out of character with the surrounding areaprovide for a right of appeal for those affected or for an amenity society, if a local planning authority granted planning consent for development inconsistent with either the development plan or with guidance issued under the provisions of the Billextend the power of a local planning authority to decline to determine repeat applications from two years to three, after a similar application has been rejected on appeal to the Secretary of State.
House of Commons
28 October 2009
This bill would change how private gardens are treated in planning decisions. It requires the government to issue guidance to treat garden land as greenfield for development, would refuse planning permission for large developments that are out of character with the surrounding area, and creates a right of appeal for affected residents or amenity groups when a council approves such development. It also extends the time window for councils to reject repeat applications after a prior rejection from two to three years.
The bill is at the 2nd reading stage in the House of Commons, so it is in the early stages of the legislative process and has yet to move to committee stage.
Generated 21 February 2026
This Bill was on the Order Paper for a Second Reading on several Fridays before being dropped by its sponsor, Mr Paul Burstow.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
